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Fiji changing flag first 'embarrassing'

It is an embarrassment that Fiji will change its national flag before Australia, says a supporter of a new flag.

Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced in a New Year's Day address that his country will be getting a new flag.

The move means Australia will now become one of a small group of former British colonies still with the Union Jack on its flag, said Harold Scruby, executive director of Ausflag, a group campaigning for a new flag design.

Such a development is exciting for Fiji, he said, but also embarrassing for Australia.

"Australians need to wake up," Mr Scruby told AAP on Wednesday.

"We need to stop playing the emperor's new clothes and pretending this flag is an Australian flag. It is not.

"How embarrassing Fiji has beaten us to it. I think it is disappointing that a country like Fiji has got so much more vision than a country like Australia."

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But Bert Lane from the Australian National Flag Association (ANFA) said the current flag reflects our history and that it was a "stupid statement" to say it was embarrassing that Fiji would be changing their flag before Australia.

"Ausflag, they want to destroy the Australian flag," said Mr Lane, the immediate past president of ANFA Western Australia.

"A lot of people love our flag. The symbolism on the Australian national flag - we have the Union Jack to talk about our heritage and our history ... we have have the Southern Cross on there to identify our place on the face of the earth."

Mr Lane said the Australian flag was the only flag to be designed by the people, for the people, in a competition that attracted 32,823 entries.

He said there was also a lot of military history and pride attached to the current Australian flag.